'People's initiative' to achieve minimum signatures nationwide next week: Salceda | ABS-CBN

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'People's initiative' to achieve minimum signatures nationwide next week: Salceda

'People's initiative' to achieve minimum signatures nationwide next week: Salceda

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

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MANILA - House Ways and Means Committee Chair Joey Salceda expects the ongoing people's initiative on charter change to achieve the signatures of 12 percent of voters nationwide by next week.

Salceda also expects a ratification by the electorate by July even as he maintained that the House of Representatives may insist on its revisions to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, which he claimed would have a bigger impact on the economy than the Senate version.

"It's a question lang talaga of physically submitting it to the local Comelec. We are in the process already, pervasively I think 80% of the country is already in that process," Salceda said Thursday.

He confirmed a supposed timeline of events for the initiative that was released by Kabataan Party List. The timeline showed that the charter change advocates expect a plebiscite by July.

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"Oh yeah, I confirm that, I confirm that nga eh." Salceda said.

"Yes. correct. I saw the timeline...baka sila gumawa ng timeline para sa amin I know that July is the timeline," Salceda said.

Salceda refused to name the 20 legislative districts where he said the initiative is meeting difficulties getting the 3% required for each district. "I think it will be achieved. I think it will be achieved. I think the PI is already inevitable," he said.

He added that in 60 districts, they have achieved more than the required 3 percent.

"I heard that (Rep.) Mark Cojuangco is trying to beat 50%. (Rep. Kristine) Meehan Singson has beaten 30%. There is an attempt to go beyond, to make up for the slow-moving districts," Salceda said.

He claimed that the Senate's proposal in Resolution of Both Houses 6 falls short of the standard set by the House's Resolution of Both Houses 2 in the 18th Congress because the House proposal would impact the economy where it matters most.

"Agriculture is one particular area where the scope for growth is really huge. We can easily grow agriculture by 6% per annum once we put foreign capital there and foreign technology," Salceda added.

Salceda said that by authorizing Congress to regulate these sectors of the economy, Congress will be empowered to better restrict these.

He said the Senate proposal only amends 3 restrictive economic provisions, concerning public utilities, education, and advertising.

Salceda said that in the 18th Congress, the House's RBH 2 amended 7 economic provisions concerning the development of natural resources, lease of public lands, ownership of private lands, media ownership, public utilities, along with advertising, and schools.

Salceda believes the House will insist on its RBH 2 but he is wary because there is no process to reconcile clashing versions of charter amendments.

"Mahirap kasi ngayon once they approve theirs, once the House and the Senate are deemed to have constitutionally constituted itself on the job of as a constitutional body, then the usual processes may not be. There is a gray area kung saan the process for reconciliation may not be available. It's difficult to imagine that there will be a bicam, there will be a pass, no pass," Salceda said.

Salceda hopes the 2 chambers can sit together even if they vote separately, so that they can better facilitate changes to the draft.

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